Christopher T. Conner, PhD
Featured Publications
Conspiracy Theories and Extremism in New Times
Conspiracy Theories and Extremism in New Times outlines a cadre of alt-right groups, conspiracy theories, and other forms of stigmatized knowledge threatening our society. In an era dominated by the pervasive influence of social media, the scholarly gaze has often overlooked the ways far-right factions leverage these platforms to propagate anti-democratic ideologies. From the denial of the moon landing to the enigmatic labyrinth of QAnon, and a myriad of other alt-right groups in between, this anthology presents a compelling case for the continued relevancy of the Frankfurt School of Critical Social Theory. Uncover the intricate web connecting these ideologies to everyday life, and arm yourself with the critical insights needed to navigate the turbulent currents of our modern socio-political landscape.
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Electronic Dance Music
Published in 2023, Electronic Dance Music: From Deviant Subculture to Culture Industry explores the subculture's emergence as a deviant subculture. This text analyzes how industry professionals, fans, and public officials helped usher in a new age of EDM, arguing that while the defining feature of the subculture made it attractive, they also laid the foundation for outsiders to commodify the movement as a culture industry. Conner and Dickens explore the concept of "commodified resistance" as the mechanism by which the movement's politically dissident features were removed and its place as a multi-billion dollar industry was made possible. Out now from Rowman and Littlefield, use AUTH30 for 30% off at checkout at the publisher's website.
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Recent Publications
About Me
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Christopher T. Conner is Teaching Assistant Professor of Sociology at The University of Missouri, Columbia. His research is at the intersection of criminology/deviance, social movements, technology, gender and sexuality, and social theory. His work explores how subgroups become legitimate in the mind of the public, and how these groups maintain their autonomy and commitment to core values in light of these shifts. He has explored this process for members of the Electronic Dance Music Subculture, Gay Men and Gay Spaces, and how right wing extremists exploit this achieve legitimacy within contemporary politics. His work has been featured in a variety of outlets including Critical Sociology, YOUNG: Journal of Nordic Youth Culture, The Sociological Quarterly, Deviant Behavior, Symbolic Interaction, and Sexualities. He has also co-edited numerous anthologies including "The Gayborhood: From Sexual Liberation to Cosmopolitan Spectacle," "Forgotten Founders and Other Neglected Social Theorists," and "Studies in Symbolic Interaction: Subcultures." He is an occasional contributor to Salon and The Conversation, and has been interviewed by a variety of national news outlets.
Student Feedback
“The professor was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He was very flexible and helpful no matter what the situation was. He knew this wasn't our number one priority all the time, so he utilized class presentations extremely well. I was very impressed with him.”
(Fall 2021 Criminology SOCIOL 3600)
“The professor was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He was very flexible and helpful no matter what the situation was. He knew this wasn't our number one priority all the time, so he utilized class presentations extremely well. I was very impressed with him.”
(Fall 2021 Criminology SOCIOL 3600)
“I really enjoyed the documentaries and articles provided. They helped further my understanding of the content covered during the lectures. I also appreciated the messages sent out each week because they were informative academically but also involved information on things going on in society and he provided a lot of emphasis on the importance of our health over assignments, which I feel like isn't as common among other professors as it should be.”
(Spring 2021 Sociology of Sport SOCIOL 3430)
“I thought the instructor taught the course concepts very well. I liked how he used a variety of examples to demonstrate the definitions of the many concepts we discussed and connected them to real-life events. Also, I thought his explanations of all the main concepts were very detailed too.”
(Spring 2020 Collective Behavior SOCIOL 3520)
The Frankfurt School in New Times Book Series
This series focuses on the contemporary significance of the work of the Frankfurt School of critical theory. While almost one hundred years have passed since it was first established, the work of the members of the Frankfurt School is today highly relevant for the analysis and understanding of a broad range of contemporary issues. Just as in the period when the original members of the Frankfurt school were conducting their work, we now face a series of complex challenges due to the number of large-scale historical changes. Many of these are the result of new technologies that, rather than leading to emancipation, have resulted in new forms of domination and divisiveness.
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The books published in the series addresses this broad range of concern by employing and updating the work of the Frankfurt School. In so doing we hope to produce a body of work that makes both a theoretical and substantive contribution to the analysis of contemporary social life. We thus invite submissions from those who exemplify Marx’s observation that, “the philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however is to change it.” Moreover, because of the complexity of issues that we face, we welcome approaches that combine other frameworks with the Frankfurt School to create a more robust understanding of the social world.
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Email Chris Conner (chris.conner@missouri.edu) and Courtney Morales (courtney.morales@bloomsbury.com) if you're interested in proposing a monograph or edited volume for the series.
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More info here.
Public Sociology